Absolutely Spoiled - Chapter 66.3

Chapter 66.3 – Shi Yi’s First Life

The following day, Shi Yi’s table was once again filled with an array of unique dishes, and this time, there was a sandalwood box on the table.

He opened the box carefully to find a red tasselled sword tassel nestled inside, along with a beautifully crafted peace knot. After a moment, he took out the sword tassel.

Meanwhile, the girl who gave it to him was leaning against the window with a book in her hands. ‘Did he like the sword tassel I sent? Would he use it?’

A flurry of questions swirled in her mind, leaving her feeling anxious.

Earlier that day, she had faced danger while returning from the temple after burning incense. Her mother had tried to protect her, but thieves had targeted her and taken her captive. One of the thieves managed to carry her off for quite a distance. Just when she felt hopeless, Shi Yi caught up with them, and after a brief clash, the thief retreated.

She thought the danger had passed, but the thief suddenly attacked again, and Shi Yi was hurt while trying to shield her. In a swift motion, he swung his sword and severed the thief’s neck. Seeing blood spilling everywhere, Yu Zhiyi was terrified. Her legs went numb; she clung to Shi Yi’s sleeves, quietly sobbing.

“Can you walk?” he asked, but she could only shake her head.

The young miss hugged the young man, with her tear-streaked face pressed against his warm chest.

“Stop crying,” he said, though he frowned at the sight. He had little patience for women who cried; to him, it felt like a curse.

If it were someone else, the unsheathed sword would be enough to silence that person forever.

But this one in front of him…

That was all.

‘Just coax her…’

The little girl coughed and choked a few times. Feeling blood on her hand, she panicked. “Does your hand hurt?”

Shi Yi looked at the wound without showing any emotion. Having faced life and death before, this minor injury seemed trivial to him. But seeing the girl’s tear-filled eyes made him ask, “What do you think?”

That question only made her cry harder. “I’m sorry!” she said, wiping her tears. After a few sobs, she added, “Let’s go back. I’ll get Dad to find a doctor for you. He’ll use the best medicine and definitely make you better.”

First, they needed to stop the bleeding. So Shi Yi wanted to rip off his clothes but thought it would be rude, so he asked her, “Can I borrow your handkerchief?”

“Here, take it,” she replied. She didn’t think of Shi Yi, who saved her, as just a guard at home. He was a hero to her.

Once they got home, Yu Zhiyi had nightmares for several nights, reliving the moment the thief died in front of her. Although the doctor gave some calming meds, the nightmares persisted. After a week, Yu Zhiyi seemed to recover and even sent the servants away from her door. Everyone thought she was fine, but she knew better; in the middle of the night, she saw the young man standing by her bed. Shi Yi had saved her from the thieves, and she trusted him completely.

At first, she thought it was all a dream and sleepily reached for her saviour’s hand, hoping to draw some courage and strength from him.

She slept soundly for the rest of the night. This went on for two more days, and Yu Zhiyi started to get suspicious. So the next night, she pretended to be asleep. When she was actually awake, she noticed the young man by her bedside. Yu Zhiyi felt confused and didn’t know how to react, so she kept pretending to sleep.

The room was quiet, and Shi Yi softly said, “I know you’re not really asleep.” He hadn’t noticed it when he entered, but as he got closer, he could tell from her breathing that she was awake.

Yu Zhiyi couldn’t keep up the act any longer and opened her eyes slowly. She clutched the blanket tightly and asked in a faint voice, “What are you doing here?”

Shi Yi, who practised martial arts and had sharper hearing than most, clearly heard her words.

He had learnt about Yu Zhiyi’s nightmares from others. Knowing that the girl had been so kind to him, he felt he should check on her, so he quietly came in to see how she was doing. To his surprise, every time she woke up, she would grab his hand and drift back to sleep peacefully. However, it took him two days to catch on to the pattern, which puzzled him.

Shi Yi bent down and asked, “Are you scared? Is it because of the person I killed?”

Yu Zhiyi muttered, “It’s just… a nightmare.”

He suddenly squatted down and extended his hand, saying, “Go to sleep; don’t be afraid.”

Yu Zhiyi couldn’t help but blush as she looked at those big hands. Even though she knew it was against the rules, she slowly reached out and intertwined her fingers with Shi Yi’s. The moment felt like it was frozen in time. Now, thinking back, it was super embarrassing.

“Oh…” Sighed the girl by the window.

The maid, Lu Yin, came in with a plate of snacks, saying, “Miss, here’s the fuling sandwich from the east kitchen.”

Yu Zhiyi shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

The Fuling sandwich, shaped like a full moon and as thin as a cicada’s wing, was usually her favourite, but today she just didn’t feel like eating.

“Miss, are you still thinking about that…?” Lu Yin started, but Yu Zhiyi quickly covered her mouth.

“Shh!”

Lu Yin panicked, and she hurried to close the doors and windows, looking guilty.

“And keep your voice down, Lu Yin!” Yu Zhiyi added.

Lu Yin sighed. “But I haven’t even said anything yet…”

They both hid in the room, and Lu Yin whispered, “Miss, are you still thinking about that guard?”

Yu Zhiyi’s face turned bright red at the question. “No, no…” She stuttered, and she twisted the pages of her book nervously.

“Just a moment ago in the kitchen, Sister Luyi leaned in and told me that the master and madam have been chatting a lot about the young master of the Liang family lately, and they’re thinking about having the young lady marry him.”

The Liang family was pretty well-off in the city, with a history of holding official roles. When it came to marriage, it was all about matching social status.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhiyi’s face changed instantly, and she said, “I won’t marry.”

But traditionally, girls’ marriages were arranged by their parents and matchmakers. Even though Yu Zhiyi was against it, her family elders started visiting her more often. The girl, who usually seemed fragile, was surprisingly determined and showed no signs of backing down.

Eventually, Mr Liang came to visit her personally, and her mother set up a meeting.

“Mr Liang is quite the handsome guy. You’ll definitely like him once you meet,” she insisted.

So, Yu Zhiyi reluctantly agreed to the meeting.

At just the right age, she was innocent and delicate, and Mr Liang was smitten at first glance. He wanted to impress her, but she subtly made it clear that she wasn’t interested in marrying him.

Treating the meeting like a task, she quickly found a way to excuse herself. Instead of going back inside, she headed to the kitchen.

Lu Yin asked, “Miss, are you feeling hungry?”

An idea popped into Yu Zhiyi’s head, and she exclaimed, “I want to learn how to make Fuling Pancake.”

Have a nice day!